330 EARLY REMINISCENCES fancy ; and have a brain so entirely inept for everything of the kind, that I solemnly declare I was never yet able to comprehend the principles of motion of a squirrel cage or a common knife-grinder's wheel ; though I have many an hour of my life looked up with great devotion at the one, and stood by with as much patience as any Christian ever could do at the other." At length, parents have become wiser, and study the bent of their sons' minds. This was never considered in former days. On entering Holy Orders there is one consideration that is often overlooked—the prospect of a life, and best efforts, being, as far as man can see, wholly thrown away. Many an earnest and devout clergyman is planted in some most unsuitable living, among intractable people, without token of his labours producing any effect. A thousand such hearts have been broken, a thousand such lives wasted, long cherished and fervent hopes killed. A Dissenting preacher has not this experience before him ; he is moved after a few years from one station to another. If he be an Evangelist, a Revivalist, he obtains numerous apparent successes, that are not worth a rush, but of their worthlessness he is unaware. A priest hopes for some spiritual response to stir him to renewed efforts. But to work day after day, year after year, without recognition, or appreciation, takes all the life out of him. It should not be so, but so it is. Many and many a parson tramps on the treadmill and perceptibly grinds no corn. I will quote from a letter, recently received, a passage that shows how differently situated is the Dissenting minister. " I was just eleven when an announcement was made by the Pastor of the Baptist Chapel which I attended which was very mysterious to me. There seemed to ensue a wave of suppressed excitement among the congregation. It was this : ' There was going to be a Revival, and two Evangelists were coming.' At length the great day arrived, and the two Evangelists made their appearance. The chapel was packed, and my sister and myself were squeezed in the very front row. " Of the two Evangelists one was old and quiet, and the other was quite young. This latter was to hypnotize the people, while the former was to keep a check upon him, should he become too overwrought. The first announcement was that the younger Evangelist would sing the Gospel on his auto-harp. I wondered
